On the application of the young Duke
of Athole, government granted him authority to raise a regiment of 1000
men for the service of the State, with power to appoint officers. The
command of this corps was given to Colonel James Murray, son of Lord
George Murray.

The Athole Highlanders were embodied
at Perth, and in June 1778 were marched to Port-Patrick, and embarked for
Ireland, where they remained during the war. They were thus deprived of an
opportunity of distinguishing themselves in the field; but their presence
in Ireland was attended with this advantage, that they supplied the place
of other troops, who would probably have been less exemplary in their
conduct amongst a people whose passions were excited by misgovernment.

The terms on which the men had
enlisted were to serve for three years, or during the war. On the
conclusion of hostilities, they, of course, expected to be disbanded; but
instead of this they were transported to England, and marched to
Portsmouth for embarkation to the East Indies. On the march they were made
acquainted with the intentions of Government; and so far from objecting to
a continuance of their service, they showed no disinclination to embark,
and when they first saw the fleet at Spithead, as they crossed Portsdown-hill,
they pulled off their bonnets, and gave three cheers for a brush with
Hyder Ali. They had scarcely, however, taken uptheir quarters at
Portsmouth, when the face of matters changed. The minds of the men, it is
said, were wrought upon by emissaries from London, who represented the
unfaithfulness of Government in sending them abroad after the term of
their service had expired. It was even insinuated that they had been sold
to the East India Company at a certain sum per man, and that the officers
were to divide the money amongst themselves. These base misrepresentations
had their intended effect, and the result was that the soldiers resolved
not to embark. The authority of the officers was despised; and after a
scene of uproar and confusion, which lasted several days, during which the
Highlanders attempted to obtain possession of the main-guard and garrison
parade, the order to embark was countermanded by Government.

One account of this affair, dated at
Portsmouth, and published in February 1783, contains the following
details:—."The Duke of Athole, his
uncle, Major-General Murray, and Lord George
Lennox, have been down here, but the Athole Highlanders are still
determined not to go to the East Indies. They have put up their arms and
ammunition into one of the magazines, and placed a very strong guard over
them, whilst the rest of the regiment sleep and refresh themselves. They
come regularly and quietly to the grand parade, very cleanly dressed,
twice a-day, their adjutant and other officers parading with them. One day
it was proposed to turn the great guns of the rampart on the Highlanders;
but this scheme was soon overruled. Another time it was suggested to send
for some marching regiments quartered near the place, upon which the
Highlanders drew up the draw-bridges, and placed sentinels at them."

"You may be assured," says another
account, "I have had my perplexities since the mutiny commenced in the
77th regiment; but I must do the men the justice to confess, that
excepting three or four drunken fellows, whose impudence to their officers
could only be equalled by their brutality, the whole regiment have
conducted themselves with a regularity that is surprising; for what might
not have been expected from upwards of one thousand men let loose from all
restraint? Matters would never have been carried to the point they have,
but for the interference of some busy people, who love to be fishing in
troubled waters. The men have opened a subscription for the relief of the
widow of the poor invalid, for whose death they express the greatest
regret. On their being informed that two or three regiments were coming to
force them to embark, they flew to their arms, and followed their comrade
leaders through the town, with a fixed determination to give them battle;
but on finding the report to be false, they returned in the same order to
their quarters. The regiment is not to go to the East Indies contrary to
their instructions, which has satisfied them, but will be attended with
disagreeable consequences to the service; and since the debates in the
House of Commons on the subject, I should not wonder if every man intended
for foreign service refused going, for the reasons then given, which you
may depend on it they are now well acquainted with."

Mr Eden, afterwards Lord Auckland,
secretary for Ireland, in the Parliamentary debates on the mutiny, bore
honourable testimony to the exemplary conduct of the regiment in Ireland
:—"He had happened," he said, "to have the 77th regiment immediately under
his observation during sixteen months of their garrison duty in Dublin,
and though it was not the most agreeable duty in the service, he must say
that their conduct was most exemplary. Their officers were not only men of
gentlemanly character, but peculiarly attentive to regimental discipline.
He having once, upon the sudden alarm of invasion, sent an order for the
immediate march of this regiment to Cork, they showed their alacrity by
marching at an hour’s notice, and completed their march with a despatch
beyond any instance in modern times, and this too without leaving a single
soldier behind."

This unfair and unworthy attempt on
the part of Government created a just distrust of its integrity, and had a
most pernicious effect on its subsequent endeavours to raise men in the
Highlands. Alluding to this unfortunate affair, General Stewart observes,
that "if Government had offered a small bounty when the Athole Highianders
were required to embark, there can be little doubt they would have obeyed
their orders, and embarked as cheerfully as they marched into Portsmouth."

The fault resting entirely with
Government, it wisely abstained from pushing matters further by bringing
any of the men to trial. The regiment was immediately marched to Berwick,
where it was disbanded in April 1783, in terms of the original agreement.

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